University of Akron chooses Ryan Gensler as next women's basketball coach

The University of Akron announced Wednesday that former University of Illinois assistant coach Ryan Gensler will take over the Zips women’s basketball program.

Gensler replaces Melissa Jackson, whose contract wasn’t renewed after last season.

It will be the first head coaching position for Genser, a native of Syracuse, N.Y., who spent a season with the Illini working with head coach Shauna Green.

Green and her coaching staff took over a program that went 7-20 in 2021-22 and flipped it this past season, amassing a 22-10 record and earning an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Illinois lost to Mississippi State in the opening round.

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Gensler served as an assistant under Green with Dayton beginning with the 2017-18 season. During their five seasons there, the Flyers took three trips to the NCAA Tournament and won four regular-season conference titles.

Gensler made previous stops at Florida, Loyola-Maryland, St. Bonaventure and Providence in various roles.

He takes over an Akron program coming off a 17-13 season. The Zips were the sixth seed for the Mid-American Conference tournament and lost in the quarterfinals to Ball State.